Advertising device



Oct. 17, 1967 T. N. LETSINGER ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed April 19, 1965 MW 3 E M A W,

2 1%, awywa pzm m ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,346,978 ADVERTISING DEVICE Thomas N. Letsinger, R.F.D. 2, Bartlett Drive, Newburgh, Ind. 47630 Filed Apr. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 449,260 4 Claims. (Cl. 40-130) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An inflatable structure for advertising purposes mounted on a compact base structure in which all of the operative parts of the device can be mounted including a blower for supporting said inflatable structure and lights to illuminate the same with openings being formed in the top of said inflatable structure to allow controlled outflow of gaseous fluid. A control line is attached to the inside top of said inflatable structure to control the inflation and retraction of the same, said line and inflatable structure being wound on a drum for compact storage.

This invention relates to outdoor advertising devices and more particularly to such devices which comprise inflatable self-erecting tower-like structures adapted in themselves to attract attention, or to be supplied with supplemental visual means to call attention to the advertisers services or products.

The general object of the invention is to provide a device of this description which is of compact self-enclosing construction, easily manipulatable either by power or by hand, and provided with supplemental means for rendering the display more spectacular.

In its preferred embodiments, the invention contemplates the provision of a relatively smooth-walled cylindrical barrel-like base member, which may be made readily portable, and not only to receive and store a balloonlike, fabric, inflatable, tower structure when it is in deflated inactive condition, but also to contain substantially the entire mechanism for inflating, deflating, retracting, and illuminating the tower. As used herein the term inflate and its derivatives is deemed to cover the expansion or swelling of the tower structure without abnormal tensioning of the same, which structures are conventionally referred to in the art as being air supported.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in association with the inflatable tower structure, means for coloring the air or other gaseous medium'used to inflate the tower, such as a smoke generator whereby a column of colored smoke or gaseous material may be projected through openings in the top of the fabric tower.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view mostly in vertical section of an advertising device embodying the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section of one form of tip construction for the tower.

In the drawings, the cylindrical barrel or tank-like selfcontained body member comprising the base portion of the advertising device is designated by the reference numeral 10, whilst the inflatable tubular fabric structure which extends upwardly from the base in operative position is designated 11. Although the fabric structure is of a generally elongated conical configuration in the embodiment illustrated, it is understood that this structure can assume any smooth geometrical shape such as cylindrical, or it may be made of a somewhat irregular elongated configuration of any fanciful nature, or even imitative of animals, clowns, or the like.

Suitably secured around the periphery or rim of the base container 10 in any suitable fashion as by means of the crimped or rolled rim 12 is the bottom peripheral margin 13 of the opening at the lower end of the fabric member 11. This junction 12, 13 should preferably be airtight.

'It is understandable that in the absence of inflation of the fabric tower member 11 the structure would col lapse interiorly of the container 10, and the whole device would occupy a minimum of space with a substantial absence of external protuberances and constructional features. Furthermore, the mechanical devices pertaining to the operation of the device are preferably contained entirely within the confines of the cylindrical tank or base member 10. Thus, the blower 15 has its intake pipe 16 riveted, bolted, or otherwise secured to the inside Wall of the tank 10 as shown, and surrounds an opening 17 in said wall through which outside air or any other gaseous inflation means may be drawn by the blower. The discharge pipe 18 of the blower fills the tank and thus the fabric tower structure 11 with the air or other gaseous medium and serves to inflate the structure 11 and cause it to rise to fully erected position.

The fabric wall of the member 11 may be impervious to air or other gases, or for that matter, under some circumstances, it may be very slightly porous to allow for a slight leakage of inflating medium but not sufficient to permit the collapsing of the tower. Under ordinary usage, it is suggested that openings such as indicated at 20 be formed in the upper end of the tower for the emission of the gas at a restricted rate. These openings may be formed in any suitable fashion, the means shown including a reinforcing piece 21 which may be of a quite durable fabric having openings registering with the openings 20 in the tower 11. Centrally of the device the reinforcing patch 21 may be provided with a socket portion 23 containing a knob or ball 24 through which the inserted end of the rope or cable 25 extends.

The cable 25 extends downwardly and has its knotted lower end 26 suitably secured to the winding drum 30 of a Windlass installation, as by means of passing through a diametric opening 32 in said drum. The drum may be cylindrical, but it is preferably of a double frusto-conical configuration as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The drum is of a width approximating the average collapsed diameter of the fabric tower structure 11 and it can terminate in flanges 34 which serve to confine the fabric tower material 11 when it is wound upon the drum after the cable 25 has been fully wound in.

The drum is mounted on a shaft 35 which preferably has its bearings disposed internally of the base container 10 as at 36 and at 37. At the right-hand side of the installation as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 the bearing member 37 is enlarged to provide a socket which would surround the squared end 38 of the shaft 35 in order to receive the socketed end of a hand crank 40 whereby the shaft 35 may be rotated manually instead of by power when desired.

For power operation of the Windlass, the right-hand portion of the shaft 35 is provided with a sprocket wheel 43 about which is wound the drive chain 44, the lower portion of the chain engaging sprocket wheel 45 on the shaft 46 of the electric motor 48.

The fabric tower member 11 may be made translucent and suitably ornamented so that light from the interior of the device will illuminate the tower and increase its visibility and entertaining features. For this purpose a pair of lamps 50 are mounted on brackets 51 secured as at 52 to the wall of the base cylinder 10. The openings in the top of the structure 11 allow the heat from the lamps to be advantageously dissipated by allowing a constant outflow of heated air which is important since otherwise an excess amount of heat would be built up after an extended period of operation.

An optional feature in association with the blower 15 is provided in the form of a small pocket into which may be placed a smoke-generating capsule 62. Upon ignition of such a capsule the air drawn in by the blower 15 will become colored by the smoke, and when the device is fully inflated the colored gaseous medium will be emitted in a column from the openings 20 in the top of the device as suggested by the arrows at that point, in FIGURES 1 and 3. This coloring feature cooperates Well with the illumination afforded by the lamps 50 since it can be arranged that the beams of light from the lamps may be projected through the top of the tower 11 and illuminate the column of smoke or colored gas arising therefrom.

In operation, it will be clearly understood how the cessation of inflation may be accomplished by cutting off the blower 15 and then, by starting the motor 48 or winding the shaft35 by means of the hand crank 40, the cord or rope 25 may be wound in on the drum 30. Then upon the arrival of the upper end knob 24 at the drum 30, the drive will begin to wind the collapsed elongated fabric member 11 onto the drum for compact storage of the tower fabric within the tank-like portable base member 10.

Optional features which may be employed if desired, include the brackets which may be welded or otherwise secured at intervals around the wall of the base member 10 to which guyropes or cables may be secured. These brackets would provide only a minor projecting piece, and in fact, if desired, the attachment of the cable 75 could be accomplished by inset or countersunk securing elements in the wall of the casing.

Also, if it is so desired, a detachable external intake elbow might be secured in registry with the intake piece 16 of the blower 15 adjacent the opening 17 in the wall of the base member 10, this elbow having a pocket or receptacle portion 82 similar to the one indicated at 60 in the blower pipe for the reception of the smoke-producing pellet or capsule 62.

It is understoodthat various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as determined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1..An advertising device of the class described which comprises, in combination, a substantially cylindrical barrel-like base structure having an open top, an elongated tubular inflatable fabric structure having a peripheral margin secured to the peripheral upper edge portion of said base structure, gaseous fluid pumping means wholly contained within said base structure for discharging into said inflatable fabric structure, means for retracting said fabric structure in its entirety into said barrel-like base structure, means being provided entirely within said base 2. The device as set forth in claim 1 in which a source.

of illumination is provided within said base structure for directing a beam of light through said openings to illuminate the column of colored gas.

3. An advertising device of the class described which comprises,.in combination, a substantially cylindrical.

barrel-like base structure having an open top, an elongated tubular inflatable fabric structure having a peripheral margin secured to the peripheral upper edge portion of said base structure, gaseous fluid pumping means wholly contained within said base structure for discharging into said inflatable fabric structure, means for retracting said fabric structure in its entirety into said barrellike base structure, said fabric structure being translucent, a source of illumination being provided within said base structure for directing a light beam into said fabric structure when the latter is erected by its inflation, means in association with said pump for generating colored smoke and injecting it into the flow of said gaseous fluid into said fabric structure, and openings in the top of said fabric structure for the constant, limited outflow of said gaseous fluid and for emission of a column of the resulting colored gaseous product, whereby said column of gaseous products is illuminated and heat from said source of illumination is dissipated.

4. An advertising device of the class described which comprises, in combination, a substantially cylindrical barrel-like base structure having an open top, an e1on-. gated tubular inflatable fabric structure having a peripheral margin secured to the peripheral upper edge portion of said base structure, gaseous fluid pumping means wholly contained within said base structure for discharging into said inflatable fabric structure, means for retracting said fabric structure. in its entirety into said barrel-like base structure, said retracting means comprising a line having one end connected to the inside of said fabric structure at the top thereof, a winding drum connected to the other end of said line, and means for operating said drum to wind up said line to retract said fabric structure and to let out said line during inflation, said drum being of suf-. ficient width to approximate the diameter of said fabric structure so as to be capable of accommodating the same in a rolled condition, whereby during retraction when said line is completely wound in on said drum said fabric structure will be rolled up in inverted condition, and simultaneously exhausted of said gaseous fluid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,551,425 8/1925 Pardoe et al 40-214 1,619,565 3/1927 Chvojka 402l4 2,348,250 5/1944 Gardner et al. 46-87 X 3,233,352 2/1966 Projector et a1. 4020 X 2,849,011 8/1958 Bird 52--?. 2,990,836 7/1961 Bird 52 2 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ADVERTISING DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL BARREL-LIKE BASE STRUCTURE HAVING AN OPEN TOP, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR INFLATABLE FABRIC STRUCTURE HAVING A PERIPHERAL MARGIN SECURED TO THE PERIPHERAL UPPER EDGE PORTION OF SAID BASE STRUCTURE, GASEOUS FLUID PUMPING MEANS WHOLLY CONTAINED WITHIN SAID BASE STRUCTURE FOR DISCHARGING INTO SAID INFLATABLE FABRIC STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR RETRACTING SAID FABRIC STRUCTURE IN ITS ENTIRETY INTO SAID BARREL-LIKE BASE STRUCTURE, MEANS BEING PROVIDED ENTIRELY WITHIN SAID BASE STRUCTURE AND IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAID PUMP FOR GENERATING 